Santiago de Tejas

Santiago de Tejas is a town in central Texas. The town was founded in 1590 by settlers from Spain, and the town grew to have several houses, a Catholic church, a saloon, and military buildings; the town was also located next to a Native American trade route. In 1821, the Mexican Army took over the town during the Mexican War of Independence, and the Mexicans built Fort Santiago not far from the town. An army of outlaws rallied to the banner of Mexico to assist them in their conflict with the Comanche to the south; a group of 30 mounted cowboys, pistoleros, and allied Comanches assaulted the Comanche village. The Mexicans massacred the Comanche tribesmen and took over the trade route, which had been developed into a railroad heading south to Nuevo Leon. The town would later become a part of the Republic of Texas and then the United States, in which it is currently located.